


Golden Child

by The_witch_of_the_ditch



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Bad Puns, Cute, Dancing in the Rain, F/M, Fluff, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Rating: M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-20 16:49:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20678681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_witch_of_the_ditch/pseuds/The_witch_of_the_ditch
Summary: Madeline's childhood was full of nature and wild honey, dirty feet and flowers. Her favorite thing was the dark crystal which she made her father play religiously every Sunday night while snuggled in blankets and eating her nana's tomato soup. But she grew older and left the simplicity of her childhood behind in trade for the cold concrete buildings of new york city,her connection to nature beginning to dissipate as time passed. will she find solace in the new series or feel even more lonely? even in another dimension the weakening crystal can hear her soul crying out and grants her whispered wish."please.... i don't want to be lonely, take me away"





	1. Prologue

Thunder crackled outside the slightly cracked window of her tiny apartment, the last episode’s credits playing on her laptop screen as she snuggled herself into the corner of a worn couch. Dried tears made the skin of her cheeks itchy and tight and the sad attempt at her nana’s soup tasted bland on her taste buds ‘not enough basil and tomato, how's that even possible’ she thinks as she spoons more into her numb mouth ‘I guess I'm too distracted, normally it comes out better’. She places the bowl on the glass table and wipes her cheeks, the irritation in her cheeks lessening. 

She closed her laptop and stretched, her back popping in two places and a rough tear slipping down her already puffy cheek. She walks to the window and looks across the tall buildings of concrete and metal “Nana..papa... I miss you both so much” she whispers and huddles into herself, she thought back to her childhood and teenhood and smiles. Memories of dance recitals and gardening with her tiny family played in her head, she slowly crept to her record player and her fingers searched through the sheets of records she had on the shelves. Slipping out her Paul Anka record and put the needle to her favorite song “Put your head on my shoulder” she whispered and slowly swayed and danced to the slow beginning of the song. 

Her body began to feel light as the music carried her along, her feet expertly moving across the smooth floor. Sadness began to swell in her chest as more memories flooded her mind and tears dripped down her chin once more, sobs shaking her shoulders as she kept dancing. As the song came to a close, she drops to the floor and looks up at the barely visible stars being shrouded by the smog of the city and whispers softly “Please....god....the moon...the stars...” she wipes her face and hiccups “anybody or anything....please, I don’t want to be lonely anymore”. 

A strange warmth blooms in her chest and when she looks down her chest glows a soft white light, it begins creeping along her skin like the roots of a tree. Madeline grips her head as she grows tired and shakily stands, her world tilting as her body drops soundlessly to the floor and her mind slipping into darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

My brows creased as I dipped my toes into the clear water and swung my legs back and forth, creating ripples and creases in the already rushing water. Podlings tittered and chatted around me and I felt a small tug on my sleeve “hm? Yes pip?” I ask the young podling and he held out a unfinished weaved basket “I can't get it” he huffed and I gently took the basket and untangled the weaving. I began showed him how to create the weave and he huffed “ I don’t get it, I wanna help more than just weave baskets all day” I patted his head “don't fret pip, I'm sure one day soon you can go with the older boys to gather” I sooth and he crosses his arms. 

As I weaved, I caught site of my face that I still wasn’t used too. My skin was as pale as the moon and just as silvery with an iridescent golden sheen, large eyes that were the same color as melted gold and framed by thick black lashes. Hair that used to be a rusty red was now to my butt and the color of clouds with golden undertones, all my features whereof a beautiful gelfling but not at the same time. I had picked threw my brain and even spied and I couldn’t identify what clan I would have hailed from if I needed to say. Luckily, I was found by a kind podling village and I lived with them, playing the part of the gelfling girl who has no memories of her past and was given the name “sif” and I couldn’t help think of the Norse goddess from my old world. 

I sigh as I wash in a nearby stream, warm water rushing over my body as I scrubbed away todays work and grime when I heard shouting in the village. I dried off best I could and wrapped up in a robe and ran into the village to see two crystal guards with pip in hand “get your hands off him!!” I yelled and the two guards were taken back at my appearance. The taller of the two stuttered out “Ma’am he's being arrested for thievery at the crystal palace” he says and I raise my brows “impossible!! Hes been with me for the past month” I hiss and he gulps “m-ma’am please” he grovels and I cross my arms “he's my responsibility so take me instead” I say and pip begins to protest “Sif no!!” he shouts and I hold my hand up. 

“Enough pip, I will go talk with the lords of the crystal to prove your innocence” I say to him and they let him go and I wrap him up in my arms “it'll be ok” I whisper softly and he grips on to me tight. I quickly got dressed and packed what I had and was greeted with teary good byes from the podlings, I looked down at pip and I ran my fingers through his hay colored hair “ ill be ok pip, you’ll be seeing me in no time” I say with a gentle smile and he slips a necklace into my hand. It’s a long leather string with shiny rocks and a single oval black rough cut jewel hanging in the middle, I gasp softly “ pip I cant have this, it was your nans” I say softly and he shakes his head. 

“ I want you to have it, she would have wanted it like this” he whispers with watery eyes and I lean down and give him a peck on the forehead. Soon I'm quickly rushed into a buggy with the guards and were soon off to the death trap known as the Castle of the crystal. 

===================================================================================== 

I was soon pushed into a large room with a long table were all of the disgusting skeskies where gorging themselves on nasty bits and food “Emperor, we have brought a gelfling girl who wishes to take the place of the podling that stole from the castle” one of the guards says and I cringe internally as he lays his eyes on me “why would a gelfling of such beauty as you take the place of a lowly podling?” he asks and I square my shoulders in confidence “That lowly podling was family to me and I know for a fact he didn’t steal from the palace, he's practically attached to my hip” I say with a haughty tone “and I know there was a possibility that you wouldn’t listen to me so I offer a trine and a half of my life to you as a servant” I say with confidence and I see the emperor widen his eyes in surprise. 

I see The Chamberlin lean over and they whispered between themselves and I began to grow nervouse as it went on for almost ten minutes and they turned back to me “Two trines and no less, golden child” he hisses and I bow low to them “your kindness is very much appreciated my lords” I say with a honeyed tone. “What is your name girl?” Skekzok asked and I laid my eyes on him “My name is Sif my lord” I say sweetly “well Sif welcome to The castle of the crystal” he says and I do a small curtsy. The emperor looks to the side and waves someone over and a podling creeps from the side and I smile gently and I'm led off to a chamber and I'm dressed in a simple dress with an apron with a pocket in the front and tighten the bodice to fit snug. I look at myself in the mirror and smooth my hands down my side and look around my new room, there's a simple bed, night stand and drawers with a mirror above it and I set my bag down and sigh “ I guess this it” I say and pull my hair up into a pony tail. 

There's a knock on my door and I walk over to the door and I open it to see gurjin standing before me “hello there, I'm to lead you to your first task” he says and I can see a soft blush creeping on his face “Wow I must be special to have a castle guard escort me about” I giggle and I step out of the room and close the door. I smile up at him ‘man he is really tall for a gelfling’ I think and he looks away from me slightly “well you did kind of tromp into here demanding you take some podlings place especially with looks like yours. You’ve seemed to peak the lord's interests” he says and I giggle “I guess I did kind of burst in here huh?” I say and we walk down lomg corridors and we chat a bit “so Gurjin, how long have you been here as a castle guard?” I ask and he shrugs “about five or so trines, not terribly long but long enough to know a thing or two” he says dismissively. 

I blink up at him and smile “wow you must be kind of important then, no one goes five trines and not be a no one” I say and he looks down at me with a smile “Thanks haha” he says and I gently pat his arm. Soon he brings me to a room with pools and know it’s the skeksis bath house and I visibly cringe “ yeah I know what that face means, I wouldn’t want to clean baths either” he says and I huff “well I might as well get to business then” I say and grab a bucket full of warm water and anything else I needed from a cart left by a podling. I begin to clean and can feel gurjins gaze on my back and I blushed ‘is he looking at my butt? What a perv’ I think with a giggle “like what you see drenchen?” I say teasingly and I hear him choke “w-what?!” I stand up and place my hand on my hip at him. 

“you know I don’t think you have to stay here with me” I say and he looks at me “w-well I wouldn’t want to leave you alone in a new place you don’t know where anything is” he states and I stifle a giggle with my hands “ok gurjin” I say and I continue my duties. After a while we had been making small talk and I hear two pairs of footsteps come towards us “Gurjin! Hey!” I look towards the voice and see Rian and mira walking to us. They greet each other and I stand there as they chat and I gently clear my throat and Gurjin looks at me “who are your friends gurjin?” I ask and he smiles “only my best pals, this is Mira” she nods at me at her name “And Rian” he waves at me. I smile brightly at them and walk closer “ its so nice to meet you both, I hope we can all be friends” I say and they all smile “you seem like you aren't from around here” Mira says and I just smile “It's the looks isn't it? From what I can tell no other gelfling looks like me here” I say. 

“I don’t remember much of my past sadly but I try not to let it get to me, I'm all about looking forward than back” I say and both mira and rian nod in agreement but Gurjin looks slightly sad at the thought of no memory. After a while I finished cleaning and put everything back on the cart and the podling came out and pushed it away and motioned me to follow her “thank you very much” I said in podling and her face lit up and I giggled. “you know how to speak podling?” Mira asks and I nod “of course I do, they dd save me after all” I say and we all walk out of the now squeaky-clean bath house and to the kitchens so I could help cook dinner for the guards. Soon we walk to the doors of the kitchens and the podling girl tells me the others can't come in “sorry guys, but this is where we part ways” I say softly and they deflate slightly “ but don’t worry we can all get together again soon” I say and they all nod. 

Soon I had been at the castle for half a trine and me and gurjin began to grow closer, so much so he would sneak from the gaurds chambers to mine and we would stay up late talking and looking at the stars that dotted the sky of thra “the stars are so pretty at this time of season” I say softly and I see gurjin look at me from the side of my eye “not as pretty as you” he said so softly I could barely catch it. My face flushes and I burry my face into my arms “s-so your traveling to Samie thicket tomorrow?” he asks and I nod “Two of the lords wish to visit to see what its like and maybe get some shiny bits for their robes, samie thicket is a large traders port for sifa and spriton a like” I say and he nods and gently laces his fingers with mine” I wish I could go with but Oredon is dead seton keeping me here” he says and I giggle “he is rather thick skulled” I say and he chuckles. 

Soon he went to bed with a quick peck to my forehead and blood rushed to my cheeks as he swiftly walked away. I slid down the back of my door and let out a shaky breath and I crawl into bed and pull the thin fabric to my chin “maybe I'll get anew blanket, I have some saved up” I say softly and imagine if gurjin was as rough as my blanket ‘ by the stars sif, act right’ I scold myself and I fall into a fitful sleep. 

=================================================================================== 

I walked behind The gourmand and The collector, my gaze shifting across the many stalls and items they held “My lords’ I say sweetly and the look behind them at me “What is it girl?” SkekLach says and I bat my lashes. “May I go around the stalls and buy some things? I especially need a new blanket” I honey out and the look at one another “hhhmmmm I don’t see why not, here” SkekAyuk hands me a small pouch and inside is at least enough to buy hundred blankets of the finest fabric. “m-my lords! This is to much!” I say and they both wave me off “don't fret girl, you have been acting accordingly and we see it fit to pay as such” SkekLach hisses and I gulp “Thank you my lord” I drop into a bow, I then run off to the closest stall that I like. 

A soft blush color catches my eye and I slip my fingers along the soft fabric of the gossamer dress, it has a sweet heart neckline and thin sheer flowing sleeves “That dress would look stunning on you if I do say so myself” a voice says behind me. I turn to see kylan leaning on the booths poles and I blush “T-thank you uumm” I stuter and he chuckles “Im kylan, nice to meet you golden butterfly” he says and does a mocking bow to me and I giggle “I’m sif” I say and he walks over and he holds the dress up to me. “My Nan worked hard this, such a beautiful dress belongs on a beautiful girl” he slips the dress in my hands and I blush deeply more, he then leads me to the back and an older gelfling woman is sitting on a slightly thread bear mat. 

She takes a puff of a long pipe and she smiles a withered grin at me “That dress was made for you dear” she says and I feel my ears flick in embarrassment “That's kind of you to say ma’am” I say and she motions to hand her the dress, I hand it to her and she looks at me the begins to mess with the stitching. She snips a thread and hands it back “you have a tinier waist than most girls, try that on for size” she says and I step behind a divider and shimmy out of my old dress. I slip on the dress and the fabric clings to my body like it was made for me and the back was low so wings could be displayed “well come on out dear, let us see” she says and I step out and they both are taken back. 

“My girl, it was made for you!” she exclaims and Kylan nods his head “How much is it? I wish to buy it” I say and she waves her hand at me “its on the house! Just come invite me to your wedding when you catch a young man in that dress” she chortles out and I giggle. “at least let me give you something” I say and she huff and she grudgingly takes the small handful of gems into her hand, she begins to wrap up the dress and I don’t see her slip in a decorative hair comb. I stay and chat with the two but eventually I part with them “come back when you can dear” the old woman says and kylan nods in agreement. 

Soon my arms are full of bags, I had grabbed two books for Mira, a widdled pipe flute and a new coin purse for rian and for gurjin I had carefully picked his gifts. I had found a black metal dagger with a glossy green hilt with matching sheath that had a smooth onyx set in it and a golden hair ringlet to decorate his braids, it was etched with a coiling serpent eating its tail. I had also got a large thick woolen blanket and couldn’t stop touching it all the way back to the castle.


End file.
